Highlander Hybrid Tire/Wheel Questions

Comments

My 2008 HiHy came with Toyo A20 tires. After 14,000 miles, they were worn to the point I felt they were no longer safe. I went on-line to The Tire Rack and researched 19 inch tires. Not many to pick from. I narrowed my search down to 3 tires, and settled on Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alanza 255/55R19.

I had them installed at my favorite tire place where a friend of mine works, and had him pay particular to alignment. That was the key element. The net toe-in met manufacturer&#146;s specs. However, one side had too much toe-in while the other side had too little toe-in. My friend said that is what caused my excessive tire wear. This toe-in problem does not show up in driving or handling, but causes excessive wear.

If you need to have your tires replaced, have them check alignment, paying particular to toe-in on each front wheel.

I too have had trouble with my 2008 Toyota HiHy tires. The 1st set of Toyos got 15,000 miles. Went to the dealer and they said the origional issue tires we always of lesser quality.?? I switched to Bridgstone, the only other tire maker of 19" tires at that time and they are bald at 19,500 miles. I am now thinking strongly of changing to an 17" wheel instead of 19" to get a better selection of tires to work with in hopes of getting better milage. I know the dealership is going to charge me up the wazzu to recalibrate my vehicle to go to 17". I drive about 1,000 miles a month and at that rate, it costs me about $53.00 per month in just tires. If I'd known that at the time I was shopping for a Hybrid, I would not have bought the car. Very expensive mistake.

My 2008 Highlander Sport had Toyo tires that were bald in no time. I followed the recommendation of another reader and made the investment of buying 18" rims and 18" Michelin tires. The overall diameter of the tires is the same as the original Toyo and the ride is fantastic. I kept the spare and no calibration is required whatsoever. They have been on since mid Feb. 2010 and we couldn't be happier. The investment was about $1,200, but I won't be buying tires every 2 years or less. If you want the details just ask and I will dig out the paperwork.

I too have to 245-55-R19's on my 2008 HH and with less then 15K (because I run snows in the winter) the A20's were dangerous. Toyo also gave me a courtesy discount and the choice of the HT's or the Versado's. I decided to get the HT's as I read a lot of good reports on them. They did say even though it's a 60K tire to expect only 20-25K on them as the vehicle is AWD, which I think is BS seeing my 06 had over 30K on the original Michelin's on it. Didn't ask about the spare... Oh well, don't plan on using it anyway only in a emergency.

So that said those who have changed over to the HT's any updates, are you happy? Not many choices out there in this size :mad:

I own an 08 Hi Hybrid limited, replaced the original A20's at 24,000 miles with Bridgestone Dueler, same problem 24,000 miles later, In the 16 months that the Bridgestone's have been on the car I've had 2 alignments and probably not as many rotations as I should have. This is an expensive tire problem! I have read a number of different post about the subject on Toyota Nation, called 3 Toyota dealers and Toyota customer service to research. I have considered replacing with the 17inch for the additional cost. Then I found out that there are 2 or 3 tires with the name Toyo Open Country H/T- the one's from the dealer are junk and they admit it. Les Schwab offers the Toyo Open Country H/T with the 60,000 mile warranty (the only thing I found with a mileage warranty) a totally different tire but with the same name and approx same cost about $230 per tire. Having these put on today and hoping for a miracle. My advise is if you get the Open Country, make sure you are buying the one with the mileage guarantee. Details of warranty etc are on the Toyo Website.

I have been having a terrible time finding snow tires worth a crap for my 08 Highlander that last longer than a year. We live at over 10,000 feet and it sounds like you may be in a similar situation. Do the Michelins get good traction in the snow and ice?

Wow! 10,00 feet! I have no experience with that altitude - from West Vancouver, at sea level, to Whistler is only about 2000 feet. We rarely get snow or ice at sea level and even past Squamish, it is a rare event. When it does snow to the Village level the highway is cleared quickly. It is only the dummy drivers with bad tires that get stuck or go off the road. That said, I equipped my 06 HH with Michelin winter tires last year only because of the winter olympics here - and they were great, and really quiet - super grip. But they did seem to require more gas. Back to the original AllSeason Michelins, no problem and no problem before I got the winter tires. I had nothing but Michelins on 4 Subarus and have driven through 2 feet of snow into my garage with no problem - as long as it is not real wet heavy snow.Now, if you read through this forum, it seems the problem with tires starts with the 08 and up HH - 18 inch and up - no Michelins to fit. I started looking at this forum to find out about Nokian - seems to be the best, but horrendously expensive here in B.C. That would probably be your best, if available, but I love Michelin.

Just want to give a "heads-up" to everyone who is looking to change out their 19" tires on their Highlanders. Up until recently, it has been very difficult to replace the 19" TOYO tires that came with the Highlanders due to an odd size (P245/55R19), and many people on this forum have had to go with with alternate sizes. But no more!

I recently went to my local Costco here in Southern California, and they now carry a Bridgestone Dueler H/L 400 P245/55R19 103S Light Truck/SUV tire for $199.49 (plus $15 for install, unless you buy all 4 tires, then you get $70 off, which basically covers the installation of the tires).

On the description it said the tires had a UTGO Rating of 400/B/B and have an "All Season Track."

My wife and I will be nearing the 20,000 mile mark on our 2009 Highlander Hybrid LImited, and with all the snow this season, we will be making the upgrade sometime soon. I'll post back when I have some experience with the tires.

On a final note, I checked on costco.com and they still didn't have the tires listed on their website. They might only be at certain warehouses, so it might be wise to check with your local warehouse before planning on getting the tires there.

The associate at Costco said they were fairly new and were being carried because of frequent requests for the tire size. (I know the year we bought our Highlander, Consumer Reports had it rated #1 in its class, so there has to be quite a bit of demand out there).

I have had the same problems with tires on my hybrid and would appreciate your telling me the Michelin tire you purchased & where you bought rims, etc. Went on the Michelin website for recommendations of tires for the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and it came up with 4 17" tire recommendations and I don't want to have to have the wheels calibrated. Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Interesting experience with my second set of replacement tire on 2008 HiHy. The dealership was running a special and, using the VIN number for my vehicle, quoted me $750 to replace all 4 tire with a Yokohama tire (at 34,000 miles).

My local tire dealer had quoted me just over $1000 for the Bridgestone dueler (same tires I had put on at 13,000 miles). They talked to their Yokohama rep and weren't able to get the tire size I needed so advised me to go with the dealer.

I dropped my car off after hours on Thanksgiving. The next day I got a very apologetic call from the dealership. Apparently, my vin number had indicated at common 17" replacment tire and that was what they had based their quote on. After much "mea culpa" talk from the dealership, they offered to put on the Michelin duelers for $780. Naturally, I took them up on the deal.

Still wonder why the VIN inquiry was wrong but satisfied with my dealerships response.

I converted my 19" Toyo junkers to 18" Michelins by buying 18" wheels from Shawn Durrant at OE Wheels in Fla (866-273-3651), oewheelsllc.com. They look great and cost about $500 delivered. I bought Michelin LTX M/S 245/60/R18 from Belle Tire for about $1000. The new tire diameter is exactly the same as the 19" toyos so no calibration was needed and the toyo spare on the 19" wheel can be used if needed. The ride is fantastic and after a year there is no noticable wear on the tires.This cost me some bucks but the problem is solved.

It's been a loooooong time since I've known anyone who has bought retreads, I'm talking like the EARLY 70's. And while I'm sure you can still buy retreads, I'd wager that the majority of retreads are bought for trucks and not passenger vehicles.

Come to think about it, My last car with retreads was a 1970 Impala. Looking on the internet I have found several retreaders within 50 miles of my town. Most say truck tires only but a few also do cars. I'll look into it and report my findings, My Highlander won't see much snow driving. I have been fortunate to be able to store it in my garage to keep road salt off of it. My wife drives my old car to work when weather is bad. Studded tires work great. Most people don't know studs are still available at least in PA.

I have a friend who owns a tire shop. His dad started the biz in 1964. They haven't done any passenger car retreads in over 20 years and told me that the retread business is virtually all for BIG trucks

First post here. Thoughts/questions on 19" tire problem:1. for people heavy into winter, get Blizzak snow tires. Great in snow and ice. Huge snow fall here in New England, these tires inspired the confidence in me that I had in my previous tank of a vehicle, Jeep Grand Cherokee. Scared to death the previous winter in the A20's, crashed in one inch of snow at 10mph. The Blizzaks are totally worth the money to me, nothing is as important as feeling safe on the road. Yes, mileage was 22-23 instead of 26-27, but to me a small trade off.2. I just emailed Toyo to complain about the a20's. I was lucky to squeeze 23k out of mine, but they are about to be reinstalled for the spring, and are completely bald. Anyway, I sent an email to them, complaining about lack of grip and treadwear. I literally was called back by a customer service rep in <30min, stating they have a program where I bring the tires to a Toyo dealer, and will get a discount. We'll see how much. I think they are nervous that their reputation is going to be very damaged by this, so use it to your advantage.3. Is it then worth it to get the Toyo H/T? Seems like people here really like them. What kind of mileage are people getting? I was getting 26-27 from the A20, sometimes more.4. Tirerack is listing a Goodyear Assurance CS Fuelmax as a new tire in the 245/55/19. Anybody have any knowledge about these?Thanks.

Please let us know if it is worth the aggravation to contact Toyo. I plan to search internet sites for new tires to have something to compare to when I go to a Toya tire dealer in April when I take my Highlander out of storage.

This topic is well dicussed on Toyota Highlander forum. (non hybrid)I posted there last Oct 13th on my experience replacing the A20's with Toyo Versado, on our '08 HH. I worked through Toyo and got 35% off the new tires based on the treadwear and mileage. (4/32 left at 24K)We have been happy with the Versados in all conditions, including snow and ice. Very smooth ride, gas milegae is a bit better than the A20. We have put about 6K on them.I debated between Versado and the H/T at time of purchase. Tire guy recommended the Versado for our situation.

Call Candace or Debbie at Toyo 1-800-442-8696.They are very helpful, and if you go through the process it will likely be worthwhile.Others posting on the Highlander site went through Toyo and that was helpful to me in the process. One or two people got 50% discount, some 40%. It depends on the mileage on your A20s and treadwear remaining.

As an aside, the Versado tires are now subject to a recall, and I will soon find out if mine are included. If so, Toyo will replace them with new tires at no cost. I got a call requesting that I return to Express Tire for inspection and possible replacement.

Thanks to all that posted the information to contact Candace or Debbie @ Toyo.Had the same problems as posted in this thread with the A20's. Contacted them and received 29% off new Versado's. No hassles, very understanding.It's worth the call IF you had issues with the Toyo A20's.

First let me thank the previous posters who mentioned contacting Toyo in regards to replacing the A20's. I did just that about a week ago (May 2011), and I wanted to write up what happened to aid the other Highlander owners if you seek this route. Here was my experience....

I have an '09 Highlander Hybrid. 19k miles and the A20's are at 2/32nds (treadbar depth with pealing rubber). I had previously posted in about the Bridgestone Duelers at Costco, but after reading reviews decided against it. (Most reviews show similar problems as the A20's).

I called Toyo and spoke with Candace. Very polite and understanding with the frustration of Highlander owners in regards to the A20's. She reiterated this was a tire made with Toyota specs. Super soft for a smooth ride, but wears out extremely quickly.

I told her I wanted to replace them with the Open Country H/T's, and she approved. I had already done my research as far as authorized Toyo dealers close to my house, and there were 3 within a 5 mile radius. She instructed me to go to a certain dealer because only certain Toyo sellers deal with inspecting tires (at least as noted on the website). Although it was the one furthest away from my house, I figured if I was going to get an adjustment on the price, I didn't mind driving an extra mile or two. The one catch was I had to get to the dealer prior to 5pm because that's when the Toyo office closes where Candace works. (Basically, you bring your car to an authorized Toyo dealer, they inspect the tire and mileage, the dealer calls Toyo (Candace), and they authorize an adjustment (discount) on the tires.

A couple days later, on a Tuesday, I drove down to the Toyo dealer as instructed by Candace. I hop out of the car, tell the mechanic my situation, and he says, "We don't do that here."

????

I was a bit confused, and I told him I was SPECIFICALLY TOLD to go to this dealer BECAUSE they inspect tires. He turns to his, who was buying oil out the trunk of a car, and he says, "Nah, we don't do that."

Then the guy I spoke with first comes to take a look at the tires and says, "Yeah, don't really deal with these tires anymore." Meanwhile, there is a HUMUNGOUS Toyo sign over the garage, with multiple Toyo signs hanging all over the place. At this point, I'm just aggravated because I just drove nearly 30 minutes in rush hour traffic and this guy basically is just blowing me off.

Just because I was curious, I asked him if I could even order the tires from there. "Oh yeah, we could do that for you, but you'd have to pay full price."

????

At this point I get in my car and call Toyo, but it was already 4:30pm and they close at 5:00. I ended up on hold for a half hour, then lost the connection.

Feeling a bit bewildered as to what just happened, I decided to call the Toyo dealer closest to my house and explain the situation. I explained they would have to check the tread depth and the mileage, call Toyo, and they would authorize an adjustment on the price. "No problem," says the guy, so I drive over.

I get there, and the guys are super nice, take down my info., check the tires and the mileage, then tell me they will call me the next day, since the Toyo office was closed already. (At this point it was 5:30pm).

I didn't hear back from them the next day, so I called them the day after. They said they had contacted Toyo, and they could do the deal for $1150 for four H/T Open Country tires to replace the A20s. He also explained that just getting the tires full price would cost $1400. I figured that out to be right around 17% off full price.

Hmm??????

So I asked him if this was the specified discount Toyo authorized, and he said it was an "in-house" discount because the manager didn't want to have to deal with returning A20's to Toyo.

I told him I would call him back, and I called Toyo myself.

When I called Toyo, I spoke with a representative who looked up my file. They had the guy's name from the tire place that called. I asked about the adjustment given, and the Toyo person said they authorized FIFTY PERCENT OFF A NEW SET OF H/T'S!

I couldn't believe it.

I asked the Toyo lady what I should do, since the guy was basically trying to give me the run around. She said I should call the guy back ask them about the 50% off. I told her I didn't really want to give some place business that was trying to dupe me, so she let me know I could go to any authorized dealer, they could call in and get the authorization (discount) number, and we could go from there.

So that brought me to my THIRD Toyo dealer. I explained everything (again) on the phone, and the guy told me to come over. By the time I got there, he had already contacted Toyo and got the paperwork, but he explained why some of the other dealers might have been hesitant.

You see, the dealer has to pay FULL PRICE for the tires up front, the customer pays the discounted price, and then the dealer sends the tires back, and Toyo REFUNDS the dealer with approval of the tires. I guess some dealers have had problems getting the refunds from Toyo, so that's why they were either denying the adjustment or trying to work with an "in-house" discount.

Anyway, my suggestion to anyone seeking to get a discount price on a new set of tires because of poor performance on the A20's..... 1. Contact Toyo2. Contact the dealer BEFORE GOING THERE and make sure they are completely willing to go through with the process, or don't be bothered3. Call Toyo after having the tires inspected to verify the dealer is giving you the correct discount

You might be asking, "Is all this effort to get a discount on the tires worth it?" Well, in the end, I received 50% of a new set of H/T's, so I would say YES.

Not only did you get a great price on the HTs, you got a great tire. I've had mine for a year and a half and almost no wear when I check tread depth. Great snow traction, too. A little noisier than the A20s but not objectionable.

I just wanted to point out that McGusto's experience also occurs with other tire dealers and other tire brands. Many tire dealers are very willing to SELL you a set of tires, but some are reluctant to do warranty - especially if they didn't sell you the tires to begin with! They just don't see a guy with a tire problem on a new car as a customer.

This is a common problem in the tire industry because there are no dedicated tire dealers. They all sell multiple brands and there are very few dealers who are actualy have close ties to a manufacturer - in spite of the signs on the building! To those folks, it's all about selling tires.

So I advise that people either stick to the large chains such as Discount Tire or Tire Kingdom - OR - cultivate a relationship with a local, independent tire dealer. And by cultivate, I mean go there and get your work done there. Don't shop on price alone - consider it a long term investment in service.

Here is an update. I logged onto Toyo's website, complained about the A20 tires, and in less than 10min, I rec'd a phone call from their customer service, who directed me to a Toyo tire dealer (in my case, this is called Town Fair Tire), who inspected the tire, and called Toyo w/ their findings. toyo then gave me 57% off the price of new Toyo tires, I chose the Versado CUV, and have been very happy with them, probably have 2-3K miles on them so far, great in wet weather, even snow as well. So, considering these tires are about 280 per tire, 57% saved me quite a bit. I would therefore definitely recommend contacting Toyo, and registering a complaint. It really was easy. good luck

Lots of advice on this thread- take a look at the last few pages and you'll get some ideas.

I personally went with Toyo H/T tires and am pleased with them.

I have had Nokian tires on other cars before and would be tempted to go with that brand next time I have to replace my tires.

I would recommend staying with the stock factory tire size, although there are those who will recommend other sizes. Now that there are at least 3 decent choices in the stock size, not much reason to risk using a non-stock size.